Today, I had a lengthy conversation about why I love the city I now call home – New York City. It is often the case where people ask me why I made the decision to move to one of the most expensive, tough, chew you up and spit you out kind of cities in the world. When they do, I reply with one simple answer –

Never in my life have I been more fulfilled by anything or anyone. Whether I’m exploring the city “alone” or embracing the millions of people (friends or not), New York is me. New York is about me. New York makes me who I am. It is what I believe in. And some would even venture to agree when I say, “New York is my boyfriend!” It is a perpetual love affair, I hope never dies.

Yes, there are days that are cold, days that are hard, days that are rough and tough, but there are more days that are beautiful, more days that open the world to endless possibilities, more days that inspire and allow me to be the real me, than I’ve ever experienced before.

And because of all that – because the odds that one of the most physically, mentally, emotionally and financially demanding cities in the world make me feel like I’m unstoppable, like life is beautiful, like nothing is impossible – it is with great conviction and joy in my heart I can proudly call myself a New Yorker.

I’ve heard that one belongs to New York in five minutes as much as they do in fifty years because being a New Yorker is a mindset, it’s a way of life. And while I may have grown up and been raised in Miami, what I’ve learned is that wherever one feels at peace, wherever one feels that if tomorrow was their last day on Earth and this was the last place they ever visited, they’d die happy, is the place where “home” is.

I’ve traveled the world experiencing beautiful natural surroundings, cities filled with history and culture, welcoming people from different backgrounds, but still nothing compares to what New York makes me feel – those butterflies I get in the pit of my stomach every time I’m engulfed by her every square inch of utter chaos and complete serenity all at the same time; every time I hear her name mentioned; every time I wake up and know, I am “home”.